Chapter 55: The Fate-Ensnared Sphere

“Edgar III, let’s move!”

“Yes!”

Lady Elina III and the veteran knight stooped low as they dashed toward the sphere. It was that very moment.

“Grrr—!”

Suddenly, a pillar of flame erupted from the sphere, scorching the veteran knight’s side and knocking him down. As Lady Elina III rushed to his side, the knight shouted loudly,

“Don’t come any closer!”

“…But—”

“We’re in the middle of battle now. Your safety comes first!”

Struck by the resolute counsel, Lady Elina III halted and stared straight ahead. Inside the opaque, spherical barrier, Elina II and a light blond man were trapped together.

‘Wait, are they actually imprisoned…?’

There was something familiar about this power. It reminded her of the forces Elina II used when summoning the Spirit Kings.

‘…Are they in a state of rampage?’

True to the Female Lead’s style, Lady Elina III immediately grasped the situation from minimal clues. Rolling her eyes as she surveyed her surroundings, she slowly reached for the sword hilt in her hand.

“Do you require my strength?”

“…Demon Sword.”

“Seize me, and I’ll lend you my power.”

“I don’t want to use you. I don’t wish for anyone to get hurt.”

“But if we leave them like this, they might both get injured, won’t they?”

“…!”

Lady Elina III’s fingers trembled. The part of the Demon Sword’s hilt she touched pulsed with a deep, as if living, heartbeat.

“How can you understand my heart—the one that refuses to lose more loved ones?”

“I do. I was once human too.”

At the Demon Sword’s words, Lady Elina III shot a disbelieving glance downward.

“Use me, human. I’ll lend you my power.”

Then it happened. Inside the sphere, Elina II shuddered and trembled. Sensing an ominous premonition, Lady Elina III reluctantly gripped the sword hilt tightly in her palm.

“Understood.”

Lifting her head, Lady Elina III fixed her gaze on Elina II. A silent, fiery resolve blazed in her silvery eyes—the determination to break the sphere no matter what. Just as she raised her sword to charge, the Demon Sword interjected urgently yet calmly,

“Hey, not yet! To use this power, I need a moment.”

“Something like a rage gauge?”

“Exactly! Hold on just a bit longer. I’m going to gather a tremendous force—ah, and then finish them off! Aha~!”

It was the boastful talk of a man in his 40s. Lady Elina III silently held her sword, waiting until an overwhelming power could be summoned to change the course of events.

About half an hour later, inside the sphere, Elina II, who hadn’t been able to stay still, shifted her upper body restlessly. Finally standing awkwardly, she approached Mikhail and said,

“Hold on, I really need to use the restroom.”

Almost in a sprint, Elina II bolted out of the sphere and dashed toward the bathroom. Lady Elina III, ever ready for battle, along with the three knights waiting behind her, blinked in puzzlement.

In sync with the sound of running water, the sphere began to shrink until it eventually released Mikhail completely. It was as if Elina II had freed herself from a mental bind.

Unaware of this, Lady Elina III looked down at the Demon Sword in her hand.

“What’s going on here? Demon Sword, is this your doing?”

“…Huh? Ah, right… I—I did it.”

Though his voice sounded drowsy, no one except Lara Schmord noticed.

“No, it was Excaturs Paols Olabiovska! Surely you must know the terror of the Demon Sword, you foolish mortals!”

“The name sounds changed, but anyway…”

The knights, relieved, gradually gathered around Lady Elina III, congratulating her with claps on the shoulder or gentle pats on the back.

“Lord Edgar III, your contributions are acknowledged.”

“Thank you. But it wasn’t me…”

“Quit your modesty. It was you who saved us and these people.”

Ah, Lady Elina III tightened her grip on the Demon Sword even more. She silently vowed to protect what mattered most with these very hands.

Although a surging heat welled up from deep within her core, she kept her expression calm, merely curling the edge of her lips upward ever so slightly.

Watching everything from outside the door, Lara Schmord quickly turned and fled. It seemed there was no place as safe as her own room.

Chapter 7: The Canon of Pestilence

It was a tumultuous night. A lone woman raced through a forest shrouded in darkness. Normally a hunting ground for the Duke, the area was off-limits to outsiders.

The cloaked woman wore a maid’s uniform, and the crest of the Ezeneta Dukedom was embroidered on her chest.

Though undeniably a maid of the dukedom, her disheveled appearance betrayed her; her hair was unkempt, and several strands were broken, entangled in twigs.

“Waaah… Aaaahhh!”

The cry of a newborn echoed in the silent woods—it was the baby cradled in the arms of the maid.

“It’s not like you’re hungry at this hour…”

After a brief moment of confusion, the maid stopped as if to avoid being overheard and began soothing the baby with a deft touch.

“There, isn’t that comforting? Please, don’t cry, Lord.”

With gentle pats, the baby soon ceased its crying. Though still with soft, newborn hair, its ruddy locks bore the unmistakable mark of Ezeneta blood. Once the lord fell back into a deep sleep, the maid dashed off without pausing for breath.

Like someone half-asleep, she frantically made her way through the forest until she barely reached its edge. Her nimble fingers quickly found a corner of the fence, and upon feeling a slight gap, she boldly pushed it aside with her foot.

Before long, a gap large enough for an adult emerged—just as she had been told by the servant child. Crawling through the breach, the maid continued running for a good while.

The path led to a village on the outskirts of the capital. Despite twisting her ankle so badly she could barely walk, the maid didn’t stop. She had to keep her distance.

‘…I’m sorry. Mari, Jeanne, Cassandra. You may be my eternal friends, but I had to live…’

Breathing heavily, the maid looked up at the sky. The early dawn began to push away the dark blue shadows, hinting at hope. Yet her heart was filled with despair as she bowed her head and glimpsed the peacefully sleeping baby in her arms.

‘I’m sorry, my lady… But I simply couldn’t bring myself to let the lord die.’

When everything calmed down, she planned to take the lord back—even if it meant shortening her own life. Her resolve was unyielding.

Stumbling into the village, the maid eventually collapsed in a narrow alley, cradling the baby protectively before drifting into a deep slumber.

Hours later, vague sounds stirred her awake—a cacophony of shouts and chattering voices, as if someone was loudly peddling wares.

“Mmm…”

“Lord, you’re awake?”

Somehow, the young lord had awakened, murmuring with his lips while his eyes remained closed. As he kept sucking his fingers out of hunger, the maid knew she had to stand up. Limping away, she eventually caught sight of a bustling market not far off.

Slipping out from a side alley, the maid naturally blended into the middle of the market while scanning for something to feed the baby.

Just then, a passerby accidentally bumped into her shoulder. Losing her balance, the maid sank to the ground, and a further twist of her ankle intensified the pain.

“Hey! Are you alright?”

“Can’t you see the baby? Please watch where you’re going.”

“I’m terribly sorry, miss. Is the baby hurt?”

“Don’t touch him! He—”

“Don’t be so prickly. Look here, I’m a doctor in this town…”

“He— I mean, what do we do?”

The maid’s face drained of color. Muttering to herself in despair, she drew the attention of the passerby.

“What are you mumbling about alone…?”

“Don’t come any closer!”

“Miss, what on earth are you saying?”

“He’s… red… He’s not rice porridge, no… I can’t go on like this. Please, help me take him away—he’s the only heir of the Ezeneta Dukedom. The eight marks on his red hair and back prove it!”

“Wha-what did you say? The only heir of the Dukedom…?”

The passerby paled, almost fainting, but the maid was resolute. After letting go of the baby, she forcefully pressed him into the stranger’s arms.

“There’s no time! Please take him away—quietly, away from the Dukedom… I just managed to get him out.”

“This man is going to cause a huge mess!”

“But I had no choice… That place— I can’t send him back. Please, trust me. I even left a letter.”

“Are you planning to stay with the Dukedom? They’ll send a chase party any minute. It’s better to send him back…”

The passerby spoke in a rush.

“…No, you must not send him back to the Dukedom! Remember my words—my lady, our master, my friends, all have been infected…”

Stating that she was the sole survivor, the maid struggled to rise and shoved the stranger from behind. She had to get moving; she must save the lord at any cost.

“This is serious… I can’t believe I’m going through this… rice porridge, of all things…”

Realizing her condition was worsening, the maid clutched her chest in agony, gasping until she finally collapsed, tears streaming down her face.

“Rice porridge… rice porridge, rice porridge…”

“Miss, what on earth are you saying…?”